1. Field of the Invention
The device described herein relates to the field of devices for mounting fire extinguishers. More specifically, the device described herein relates to the field of devices for mounting fire extinguishers in existing structures.
2. Summary of the Invention
In an embodiment of a fire extinguisher mounting device disclosed herein the device comprises a carrier tube with a cylindrical wall open at the top and bottom ends. The carrier tube has at least one collar retainer tab extending downwardly from the bottom end of the cylindrical wall and at least one ceiling retainer tab extending outwardly from the cylindrical wall. A cutting mechanism is also provided at the top end of the cylindrical wall. The device also includes a retaining collar formed from a circular plate with a central port for the nozzle of a fire extinguisher. The retaining collar has a receptacle for attaching to the collar retainer tabs on the bottom end of the carrier tube.
In some embodiments, the cutting mechanism is serrations formed in the top end of the cylindrical wall. In other embodiments, the collar retainer tabs include a flange disposed on the end of the tabs.
In yet other embodiments, the ceiling retainer tabs are formed from a portion of the cylindrical wall cut on three sides and bent outwardly along the fourth side from the carrier tube.
In additional embodiments of the device, each of the ceiling retainer tabs, when pressed and released is sufficiently flexible to depress flush with the cylindrical wall and sufficiently resilient to spring back to the outwardly bent position.
In embodiments, the nozzle of the fire extinguisher will fit through the central port in the retaining collar but the cylinder of the fire extinguisher will not fit through the central port. In some embodiments, the cylindrical wall has one or more support ribs connecting the top end and the bottom end of the cylindrical wall to reduce the weight of the device.
The fire extinguisher mounting device may be used to mount a fire extinguisher into a ceiling. The fire extinguisher has a cylinder containing fire retardant or other material for suppressing or extinguishing a fire, and a nozzle attached to the cylinder for detecting a fire and automatically dispensing the fire retardant from the cylinder. The device may be used by placing the cutting mechanism of the carrier tube against the ceiling at a desired location for the installation of the fire extinguisher. The carrier tube is then rotated or oscillated to engage the cutting mechanism to cut a hole in the ceiling. The carrier tube is inserted into the hole until the ceiling retainer tabs engage the ceiling to prevent extraction of the carrier tube from the hole, the cylinder of the fire extinguisher is inserted into the carrier tube with the nozzle oriented in a downward direction, the nozzle of the fire extinguisher is placed through the central port of the retaining collar, and the retaining collar is engaged on the collar retainer tab to secure the retaining collar to the carrier tube with the nozzle of the fire extinguisher extending through the central port in the retaining collar.
When inserting the carrier tube into the hole each of the ceiling retainer tabs is depressed flush with the cylindrical wall and the carrier tube is inserted through the hole until each of the ceiling retainer tabs returns to the outwardly bent position above the ceiling.